Marking device



A. M. BATES ET AL Aug. 21, 1928.

MARKING DEVICE Filed Au 17 1925' 5 Sheets-Sheet PIE- E gwwmkop A'de/mer/lBates. Car/G/(ronmi/leh Aug. 21, 1928.

A. M. BATES ET AL MARKING DEVICE Filed Aug 17, 1925.

- 3 Sheets-sheaf. 2

amniot- .AdelmerMBqtes. 1 Car/G'Kronmil/en Patented Aug. 21, 192 8.

UNITED STATES G. KRONMILLEB, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNORS,

ADELHEE I. BATES AND CARL 1,681,275 PATENT OFFICE.

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO BATES VALVE BAG CORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE;

MARKING DEVICE.

, Applicatioufiled August 17, 1925. Serial No. 50,588.

()ur invention relates to a marking device and more particularly to a device adapted to be used in connection with a printing press.

The object of our invention is to provide an apparatus suitable for applying a mark to a fabric, and particularly adapted to be used in connection with a printing press.

\Vhere a continuous fabric strip has successive labels printed thereon,and elsewhere when the sheet of fabric to be printed is long in comparison to thesize of the press, it is sometimes desirable to apply marks to the sheet beyond the limits of the bed and platen of the press. For example, fabric tubes are sometimes printed with a succession of labels suitably spaced so that they will be centrally positioned on bags made from such tubes. WVhere this is done, it is desirable to have an indicating mark on the tube at the point where the tube is to be severed between the labels so that the labels will be properly positioned on the resultant bags. The device is 'sh0wn and described adapted to apply such marks on a fabrlc tube, but it will be readily understood that it may be applied to other analogous uses.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a printingpress platen with one form of the marker attached thereto; Fig. 2 is a side elevation the parts shown in Fig. 1, portions be1ng broken away; Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section of the ink holder and ink-applying plunger; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a modified form of marker; Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 but showing the marker in a different position; Fig. 8 is a partial plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 6'; and Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 5,

a platen 10 of a printing press is arranged to have a continuous fabric strip 11 moved thereover intermittently The details of the press are immaterial, the ordinary Gordon press being suitable for the purpose- A roller 12 is mounted above the platen, and the strip passes over the roller on its way to or from the platen. A bracket 13 is attached to the. rear side of the platen and projects above its upper edge and supports an elevator screw 14 operated by a handle 15. A frame 16 has a threaded portion at one end through which screw 14 works. At the opposite end the frameis similarly mounted upon another screw 17, similar to the screw 14. i

The frame supports the roller 12 and comprises a cross-bar 18 parallel with the roller. An ink container 19 is grooved to fit over the cross-bar, and may be held at 21. Plate 26 has its upper end 27 bent at right angles to its main portion, and end 27 is provided with a hole through which end 25 of plunger 23 is adapted to pass; The plate is fastened to end 25' by means of rivets 28 orin any other suitable I manner. The bottom of the ink container is provided with bosses 29 on its upper surface in position to guidethe corners of the plate when the plate is in its raised position.

Journ'aled in the iframe, parallel with roller 12 and cross-bar 18, there is a rock shaft 30. An arm 31 is fixed in adjusted position upon the rock shaft by means of a set screw 32. Arm 31 has, at its forward end,a fork 33 adapted to embrace plunger 23 between collars 34 and 35 on said plunger. At one end of rock shaft 30 there is fixed an arm 36. Through a hole in arm 36 there plays a pin 37 surrounded by a spring 38 which normally presses the arm away from nuts- 39 on the rear end of the pin. In front of arm 36 there is provided astop pin 40 through pin 37. The forward end of pin 37 is pivoted to the upper end of a lever 41 fulcrumed to the frame at 42. The lower end of the lever carries an anti-friction roller 43 in position to be contacted by a moving portion 44 of the press, which may be a part of the bed frame. A lug 45 projects from the rear side of lever 41 adjacent its fulcrum. A spring 46 above lug -15 normally presses the lug downward and tends to press the upper end of the lever to the rear. Beneath the lug there is an adjustable stop screw 47 which limits the rearward. movement of the upper end of the lever.

On the lower end of screw 1t there is a sprocket 48 connected by a chain 49 to a similar sprocket 50 on the lower end of screw 17. By this connection screws l t and 17 are always moved in unison, so that, by turning handle 15, the frame, carrying the roller 12 and the entire marking device, may be raised and lowered at will and in this way adjusted to and from the point where printed matter is impressed upon the fabric. A typical design 51 is applied to the fabric in Fig. l, the nature of the design being immaterial.

It will be understood that in the normal operation of the apparatus the platen is arranged at an angle to the vertical, so that the top of ink container 19 will be horizontal aml the upper surface of ink in the container will be parallel with that top.

The operation of the device thus far described, will be apparent from the arrangement of the mechanism, but may be briefly described as follows:

lVhile the fabric is being moved into position, the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, so that the fabric may be moved over roller 12 without any interference on the part of the marker. lVhen the bed is moving over against the platen, port-ion ll contacts roller l3 and moves the upper end of lever 41 forward. The resultant pressure of spring 38 upon arm 36 rocks shaft 30 and thereby lowers arm 31 and moves the plunger so that it carries the ink-applying plate 26 down through slot 21 against the fabric.

In the form shown, the plate 26 has an end surface parallel with the opposed surface of roller 12. so that, when lowered, it rests squarely against the surface of the fabric. \Vhen the plate is raised, the lower corners are still retained in slot 521 where that slot passes through bosses 29, but a space 53 is left between the bottom of the plate and the concave bottom of the ink container, and ink may pass through this space into the slot beneath the plate. The elevation of the plate may be accurately determined by set screw t7, and is so adjusted that the proper amount of ink will exude through space 53 beneath the plate. \Vheu the plate is lowered, this ink is driven down through the slot and spread out along the lower end of the plate and forms a straight line on the fabric, corresponding to the end of the plate.

It will be readily understood, that, while the form shown in Figs. 1 to is very simple and applies a mark which is satisfactory for the purpose for which it is intended, it would be readily possible to have the plate bent to any desired shape in cross section so as to give the desired form to the mark which is applied, corresponding changes being made in the various parts, and, while the simple concave bottom of the receptacle forms an opening 53 which is very etlcctive with ordinary marking ink and for the purpose described, the bottom of the receptacle and consequently the channel which admits ink beneatlrthe plate might be changed in outline if the nature of ink or other reasons rendered such a change in the channel desirable.

Roller 19. is used merely for anti-friction purposes, and any fabric sustaining lllQll'llJtBl' would be an equivalent, so far as the action of the marker is concerned. 1t preferred, the platen could be extended beyond the bed of the press and constitute this sustaining member, but it is preferable to have the member separate from and adjustable with respect to the platen.

The form of device shown in Figs. (3 to 9 inclusive, is adapted for the use of a pencil or crayon, instead of ink. in this modification pencil or crayon 52 is attached by means of a clip 53 to an operating arm 54: mounted upon a pin 55. The pin is mounted in perforated lugs 58 and 5t) arising from a slide (it) which in turn is mounted to slide upon parallel shafts 61 and 02 which are at right angles to the pin The shafts are mounted in supporting arms (33, a portion of one of these arms being shown in Fig. 9. These arms are mounted upon the platen in any suitable manner. A spring til surrounds pin between lugs 58 and of). One end of this spring (it is caught on lug 5t) and the other end is attached to a collar (55 fixed upon the pin so that the sprint, normally tends to rotate the pin and swing arm 54.- to the right as shown in Figs. (3, T and S. A fabric (36 is passed over the platen it) and over a roller (37 suitably mounted beyond and parallel with the end of the platen. The parts are so arranged that when the arm is swung by spring til it carries a pencil 52 against the fabric where it pases over roller (37.

Arm 54 is provided with lugs (58 in which is mounted a roller (39 adapted to contact a cam mounted upon shaft (51. \Vhen the roller rests against the rise of the cam, as shown in Fig. (3, the arm is swung outward against the tension of spring (31- and moves the pencil away from the fabric. \Vhcn the shaft is turned so that the roller rolls down off of the cam, the pencil is allowed to contact with the fabric, as shown in Fig. 7.

Cam 70 also has a cam surface 71. projccting from its end next to slide (30 and adapted to contact a cam surface 72 on the slide and move the slide along the shaft.

Ill)

The slide is held against cam by means of a spring 56. 7 7 A pinion 73 is fixed on the end of shaft 1 and meshes with a segmental rack 74 on the end of a lever 7 5. Lever 75 is mounted upon a fulcrum 76, and the upper end thereof is normally pulled to the rearward by a spring 77 attached at 78 to. a stationary part of, the apparatus. The lower end of the lever is provided with a roller 79 which is adapted to be7contacted by the bed 44? as shown in Fi ireferably roller 67, shafts 61 and 62 and fulcrum 76 are mounted in a common frame which in turn is adjustahly mounted upon the platen in a manner similar to, that shown for the corresponding parts in Figs 1 to 5.

It will be readily understood that, while the press is open, arm 54 is in the position shown in Figs. 6 and 8, so that the pencil does not rest upon the fabric and the fabric may be moved over the platen and roller. IV hen the bed is brought against the platen, it contacts roller 79 and thereby oscillates lever 75 and actuates shaft 61. As cam 70 on shaft 61 turns in the direction of the arrow shown on Fig. 6 roller 69 runs down on the cam surface and allows the pencil to contact the fabric. The rise on the cam, against which roller 69 rests, is sufiiciently high so that the end of the arm is allowed quite extensive oscillation and as will be readily seen from the proportions of the parts and the position of the parts in Fig. 7 the pencil would still contact the fabric even if it were much shorter than shown in Fig. 7. In this way a considerable length of pencil maybe used up without stop ing to change its posi tion in the clip; A ter the pencil contacts the fabric, cam surface 71' encounters cam surface 72 on slide 60 and moves the slide endwise parallel with the axis of roller 67, so as to make a mark on the fabric parallel with the end of the platen. It will be readily understood that, if desired, slide 60 might be moved in a direction other than parallel with the end of the platen, and that the end of the platen might be extended to form a fabric-supporting surface, or a different form of fabric-supporting member from roller 67 might be employed, and various other changes might be made in the structure shown; but the device shown is well adapted for the particular purpose described above.

Various changes not mentioned above may be made in the various features of the invensustaining member mounted beyond and.

parallel with the platen, a marker in position to apply a mark to the fabric on its side clever having one end in the path of the bed and its other end connected to said marker to. move it toward and from said member.

4. In a printing press, having a bed and platen, a roller mounted beyond and parallel with the end of the platen, a marker, a lever having one end in the path of the bed and its other end connected to said marker to move it towards and from said roller, and a frame carrying said roller, marker and lever, and

adjustable towards and from the end of the platen.

5. In a printing press havinga flat platen, a fabric-sustaining member mounted beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, a plunger mounted to move towards and from said member, and means for inking the face of the plunger towards said member.

6. In a printing press, a platen, afabricsustaining member beyond and parallel with one end of theplaten, an ink receptacle above said member, and. a plunge-r reciprocable through the bottom of the ink receptacle towards and from said member. 7 .1

7. In a printing press, a platen, a fabricsustaining memberarranged beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, an ink receptacle above said member, said ink receptacle having a slot in its bottom, and a plunger carrying a. plate reciprocable through the slot into the bottom of the receptacle towards and from said member.

8. In a printing press, a platen, a fabricsustaining member arranged beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, an ink receptacle above said member,said ink receptacle having a slot in its bottom, and a plunger carrying a plate reciprocable through the slot in the bottom of the receptacle towards and from said member, the lower end of said plate being parallel with said member and the upper surface of the bottom wall of the receptacle being at clifferent elevations along the slot so that the lower edge of the plate may be raised enough to admit ink thereunder without being removed from the slot.

9. In a printing press, a. platen, a fabricsustaining member arranged beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, an ink receptacle above said member, said ink re- Ill) ceptacle having a slot in its bottom, and a plunger carrying a plate reciprocable through the slot into the bottom of the receptacle towards and from said member, the bottom end of the plate being substantially horizontal and the upper surface of the bottom of the receptacle being lower at the middlc of the slot than at the ends thereof.

10. In a printing press, a platen, a fabricsustaining member beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, an ink receptacle above said member, a plunger reciprocable through the bottom of the receptacle, a lever having one end connected to the plunger and the other end in position to be contacted by a moving part of the press, the connections being so arranged that such con tact lowers the plunger, a spring adapted to raise the plunger, and an adjustable stop for limiting the raising of the plunger.

11. In a printing press, a platen, a fabricsustaining member beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, an ink receptacle above said member, a plunger reciprocable through the bottom of the receptacle, a lever having one end connected to the plunger and the other end in position to be contacted by a moving part of the press, the connections being so arranged that such contact lowers the plunger, a spring adapted to raise the plunger, and an adjustable stop for limiting the raising of the plunger, the upper surface of the bottom of the receptacle being of such contour along the slot that the amount of ink admitted beneath the plunger is dependent upon the height to which the plunger is raised.

12. In a printing press, a platen, a fabricsustaining member arranged beyond and parallel with one end of the platen, a marker adapted to apply ink to a fabric passing over said member, actuating mechanism connected with the marker and adapted to be actuated by the moving bed of the press, a frame carrying said member, marker and actuating devices, and means for adjusting the frame towards and from the platen.

18. In a printing press, a roller over which the fabric to be printed is adapted to pass, a cross-piece parallel with the roller, an ink holder adjustable longitudinally on the crosspiece, and a plunger reciprocable through the ink holder to and from fabric passing over the roller.

l-Zl. In a marking device, a faln'ic-sustaining member over which fabric may pass, a cross-piece above and parallel with said member, an ink receptacle adjustable longitudinally of the cross-piece, a rock shalt parallel with the cross-paw, a rock arm adjustable longitudinally of the rock shaft, and a plunger connected to the arm of the rock shaft and reciprocable through the ink receptacle towards and from said member.

15. In a marking device, an ink receptacle, means to support a fabric beneath the receptacle, said receptacle having a slot in its bottom, a plunger reciprocable through said slot, the bottom of said plunger being parallel with the surface of the fabric and the upper surface of the bottom of the receptacle along the slot being concave, means to reciprocate the plunger, and means to stop the upward movement of the plunger when its lower end is partially above said concave surface.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names to this specification.

CARL G. KRONMILLER. ADELMER M. BATES. 

